Analysis of plant resources and diversity in Balluk Mountain, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Abstract

Balluk Mountain is located between the Tianshan Mountains and the Altai Mountains in Xinjiang Province. Influenced by the humid air and diverse landforms of Lake Alacuri, the unique climate of Mount Baluk nourishes excellent pastures and supports numerous wildlife, making it rich in plant resources. The 9th Shenyang Pharmaceutical University Chinese Medicine Resources Scientific Expedition Team conducted field investigations, literature reviews, and specimen identification to study the plant resources and diversity of Balluk Mountain in Xinjiang Province. A total of 235 species of medicinal plants belonging to 59 families and 159 genera were collected during the period from July to August 2015 in this area. The dominant families observed were Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae and Umbelliferae, with 35, 11, 14, 12, 27, and 13 species respectively. These families account for over 47.4% of the total species collected, though comprising only 10.2% of the total number of families. At the genus level, Artemisia was found to be the most dominant genus with eight species, contributing to 0.63% of the total genera, while representing 3.4% of the total species abundance. Overall, this study provides an updated analysis of the plant resources and diversity in Balluk Mountain. Several species have been identified to possess significant medicinal properties and hold potential for various research fields, including natural product chemistry and drug development. The study also offers practical and meaningful suggestions for strengthening the protection and utilization of plant resources in the area. By implementing these suggestions, we can better preserve the plant diversity in Balluk Mountain and ensure the sustainable use of these valuable resources.

Keywords

plant resources / diversity / medicinal use / protection and utilization / Balluk Mountain

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Professor Wu Chunfu of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University for the design and arrangement of the scientific expedition route, thank Mr. Dong Xiaoming and Mr. Xue Baizhong for their funding, and also thank all the scientific expedition members of the 9th Chinese Medicine Scientific Expedition Team of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University for their hard work.

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